Charging for Soda Now!

[goingboeing]

From the Washington Post...

Not Even Soda Is Sacred
By Keith L. Alexander
Tuesday, December 13, 2005; D01
Some frequent travelers have long joked that it was bound to happen, and now it has: An airline will begin charging $1 for a cup of soda, taking away one of the last in-flight perks that airlines historically have given away.

Beginning next month, American Airlines' regional carrier, American Eagle, will begin charging coach passengers for a 12-ounce soft drink as part of its latest effort to add revenue.
And there may be more costs to come. The airline may charge for its snacks and sell pillows and blankets so passengers can use them on other flights.

Eagle plans to begin charging for sodas on its flights in and out of Los Angeles. If the test is successful, American's mainline fleet -- the nation's largest carrier -- could adopt some of the initiatives, said Eagle spokesman Dave Jackson, who acknowledged the potential for passenger blowback.

"That's one of the reasons you test something, to see what kind of impact it might have," Jackson said. "There's a potential for it to go negatively. We also want to see what customers value."

During the past year, airline passengers have discovered what it really means to be a captive audience. Services and perks that were once complimentary are now on their way to becoming as much a part of airline history as the paper ticket. The carriers blame the food and service fees on stiff competition from low-cost carriers and on higher fuel prices.

Washington frequent flier Anne Seymour jokingly said her biggest fear these days is going to lavatory and having to insert money before the door opens.

"They're nickel and diming passengers to death," said Seymour, a national victim's advocate for Justice Solutions. "What's next, I sneeze and ask for a Kleenex and they tell me that'll be $1?"
Full Article

Mrs.[Miss] Seymour is just getting the services she is paying for in the ticket price.Her attitude is prevelant among today's airline customer of wanting every kind of service but yet not willing to pay for it.

 

[Skymess]

from a f/a perspective (not AA) i think it's cheesy. would love to hear from some AA stews on this topic.

Art IS an AA stew, as am I.

I agree with Art. If people want to pay less for their airfare than they need to ante up for the amenities that will be lost because of it.

People love to compare LCC's to legacies. The only LCC who has proven their weight in gold, and that they are here for the long haul, is Southwest. They made the model and they seem to be the only ones who know how to do it right.

Everyone loves to go on and on about how Jet Blue is such a market leader. It is the hip thing to write and speak about. Reality says Jet Blue is on the down swing. The stock is falling lower everyday and management keeps whining in every interview I read about them lately about why every factor but their business model is too blame. That's pretty sad coming from an airline who hasn't fully realized any of their long term operating costs for labor, or maintencance.

There is no reason why the legacy airlines, like AA, can't tweak their domestic business models in order to preserve the integrity of their international flights that generate the profits. Passengers will pay. They are just like FA's. They will #### about it but they will do it and before long they will reminisce about the old days when they didn't have to pay for amenities. People don't usually remember how much they used to pay for their airfare in order to get the same amenities.

Everyone also seems to be missing the point that the elite FF's won't be paying. We have a lot of them. That and the ticket price may be incentive to stick to one carrier for those who have status on a few different carriers or no status at all.

Disclaimer: I realize that many of our domestic flights do not have low fares. I don't know if AA will be charging on those flights or not. I would bet that they start on all the flights they do have low fares and then make their decisions from there.

I'm not sure how it works, but it seems to me that any savings created would be gobbled up by the whole accounting process.

Someone is going to have count the money and balance the inventory, like is done now with the liquor and headsets. I would think extra people would have to be hired just to manage the sodas and the revenue brought in by their sales.

The flight attendants are darn busy before boarding now with preflight checks of the emergency equipment and cabin cleaning between flights.

Which department handles the money coming in from liquor sales? I'm sure many more customers will buy sodas than liquor, so that adds up to a lot of extra work in that department.

It just doesn't make sense to me.

Dea

I'm sure some of the funds go by the wayside.

Do not cry for AA though. All of the funds collected on all of their flights go to the banks on a certain caribbean island that features a 20-30% interest rate. So whatever makes it there has a nice rate of return.

Don't ever think about putting your money there, though. I have had friends who have had no problems putting the money in, it is when they wanted to take it out that the problems arose! I guess AA gets the money in and out because they bring so many people in and out.

 

[Dea Certe]

Considering the wide range of fares charged on every flight, I wonder if it would be possible to give beverage chits to those who pay the higher fare. I think a customer who pays top dollar on a segment would really scream if they feel they are being nickled and dimed. Giving out chits might be one way to maintain a little good will.

Dea

 

[Senor Pelon]

Is the cup and the ice included in the price of the soda, or have to be bought seperately? <_<

 

[Wretched Wrench]

I wonder what they would charge just for ice, as I travel with my own cup and water.

 

[corl737]

Considering the wide range of fares charged on every flight, I wonder if it would be possible to give beverage chits to those who pay the higher fare. I think a customer who pays top dollar on a segment would really scream if they feel they are being nickled and dimed. Giving out chits might be one way to maintain a little good will.

They'd have to create an entirely new section on eBay to handle the trading of those things! It's always amazed me what folks will pay for virtually free items.

 

[usflyguy]

just another job for flight attendants to do......how many sodas in a galley on a 777? seems like a lot of counting and busywork to me. but if the aa stews on this board dont mind the extra chore of accounting for coke cans more power to em

 

[Skymess]

Count stuff? Moi?

 

[AmericanChickenFA]

I don't mean to be rude to mainline stews...I know some of us red-headed stepchild stews look up to you. However, I don't think mainline stews would ever bother with this selling soda stuff. Thank god that it didn't test well. However, we will now be selling nuts, a pillow/blanket combo that yes you can take with you, and best of all giving out mints. The mints are free of course. People always complain how there isnt enough blankets or that there arent pillows on the plane....well now you have your answer. Give me 5 bucks and you have a pretty blow-up pillow and a blanket that doesn't have hair on it! Where will we put all this stuff? Well we will prolly make customers check everything and stock the over head compartments full. And don't forget it wasnt mainline that did it first...it was it's red-headed stepchild AE. Oh well I guess I better invest in a change belt.....

 

[s80dude]

The new OSR readers that we will start using to take credit cards have an "amentity" section. I am sure we will start selling non food related items soon. Perhaps a gift shop cart?

 

[czerny]

The new OSR readers that we will start using to take credit cards have an "amentity" section. I am sure we will start selling non food related items soon. Perhaps a gift shop cart?

Effective May 1st, we will be charging $2.00 a packet for "premium" cashews. Crewmembers have to pay $1.00.
I bring my own food so I've never bought anything. AE fas have to pay $2.00 for the snack boxes.
UAL fas sell key chains, toothbrushes, etc. etc. on Ted flights so I imagine eventually mainline fas at AA will start selling that stuff too.

I just come to work, put in my hours, follow procedures and go home. The union isn't going to do anything about the increase of workload so I just do what I have to do.

 

[AmericanChickenFA]

Effective May 1st, we will be charging $2.00 a packet for "premium" cashews. Crewmembers have to pay $1.00.
I bring my own food so I've never bought anything. AE fas have to pay $2.00 for the snack boxes.
UAL fas sell key chains, toothbrushes, etc. etc. on Ted flights so I imagine eventually mainline fas at AA will start selling that stuff too.

I just come to work, put in my hours, follow procedures and go home. The union isn't going to do anything about the increase of workload so I just do what I have to do.

I guess we should just open up a boutique in the galley?